Hard Candle Christmas
by CandleHeadButt
Summary: A part of Candlehead's spirit is lost this Christmas when she overhears Vanellope doesn't believe in Santa. From Taffyta, Vanellope learns why the tradition is important to the little racer, leading to Vanellope going to correct her mistake. (A/N: Contains spoilers from the end of Shelved)
1. Chapter 1- Slip

Chapter One- Slip

"Jingle bells, jingle bell! Jingle all the WAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Of course it was that time of the year. Time for songs, time for snow, time for presents, food and sweets.

Christmas Time!

Candlehead couldn't wait. She was already bouncing about in the apartment, making sure she had things ready to carry down to the bistro below.

"Okay!" she said, taking a look at her list "I have tha garland, the nutcrackers an' tha mini-trees! Can't forget tha records or-!"

She had to stop, squealing in glee as she looked about. She was surrounded by Christmas, breathing Christmas, seeing Christmas all around!

She just could not wait!

In a flash, the little racer bounded down the stairs to the empty bistro but it didn't take her long to begin her spree all around. She took off at the speed of light and like a whirlwind the entire eating area was festooned with Christmas decorations. Strands of ribbons sprinkled in red and green were thrown this way, snowmen and gingerbread ladies were put on the wall and tabletops, and the little racer made certain that the windows were painted to look like a winter wonderland even from the inside.

Candlehead had her head in Christmas.

And it was going to be there for the rest of the winter season.

"There!" she smiled from ear to ear "All done!"

The Candle-Wick Café was dressed in its best for the winter holiday and as Candlehead flipped the sign to 'OPEN'….

"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!"

It didn't take long for the little bistro to fill, the candy citizens lining up to await their turn to purchase some coco or some cake and Candlehead made certain that there was PLENTY for everyone in Sugar Rush to enjoy. No, EVERYONE in the arcade for that matter!

Everyone was going to enjoy THIS Christmas!

"Hey C-Butt!" called a cheerful voice, the bell of the bistro ringing as the door was opened. Candlehead looked back to see Swizz and Minty walking in.

"Ah, guys! Just tha two I have been lookin' for!"

Minty smirked, crossing her arms "Er, you're not gonna use us for any more cookin' experiments are ya? Need I remind ya what happened LAST time ya did that?"

"No, no, no!" Candlehead shook her head, handing the two a pair of small, brightly wrapped presents "I wanted ya guys ta have these!"

"Aw, but its early." Smiled Swizz, knowing that the girl was going to SWAMP the two with gifts from that moment well into the New Year "What more could ya give us?"

"C'mon, just open 'em!" Candlehead begged, her eyes big and bright. The other racers tore the paper off their packages to see two small, goofy looking Santa decorations looking back at them. Minty could not help but erupt into laughter as she saw the googly-eyed ornament, pounds of glitter flittering down onto the floor.

" _Minty…"_ Swizz whispered, hoping that the girl's laughter would not offend "Eh-heh, they look adorable as usual, Candlehead."

Candlehead beamed, not at all deterred from Minty who was still laughing up a storm "Hope ya hang 'em up! Santa will wanna see 'em when he comes!"

"'Less he ends up buried in all this glitter…." Minty smiled, trilling her fingers as even more of the red flakes fell to the floor "Geeze, C-Butt. How much glitter did you use for these things?"

The candle-headed racer blinked, the flame atop her head sparking "Um, do ya think THREE BARRELS was enough? Or did I need MORE this year?"

"Ah, never change. Never change."

"I have tha others ready for everyone else!" smiled the girl "But I'll hafta wait till closin' time ta hand 'em out! I've just been so busy since our homes have been reset!"

"I'm glad that things are goin' great for ya, C-Butt!" smiled Swizz "This Christmas? Looks like we're gonna need a place like this to bring in the holiday cheer!"

Candlehead had never felt so proud in her life. It was just incredible that only a few months ago, the Candle-Wick Café, along with various other locations in the game, had remained lost and hidden in the code that Turbo had locked from the racers for those terrible years under his rule. Candlehead would have never DREAMED that her family owned such a well-loved and fun bakery nor that she would run the place herself to continue their story. Even if her parents were only there in memory and in images, she knew she had to keep the place open for them. She was a racer but she also the head of her own little bistro and bakery, a dream come to true for her!

Now that it was Christmas time however, Candlehead knew she had to double-down on making sure that the game was in the festive season more than ever. In the past, she had always been in charge of making the game jolly and bright with her own particular brand of cheer but now? Now with the Bistro in her hands as well as so many recipes and ideas?

She knew what true joy really felt like now.

"I'll see ya two later!" the girl waved as she went back to helping customers with their holiday orders "Just tell tha guys that if they want their presents, they can come here! But I'll make sure ta see 'em later!"

The other racers left, leaving Candlehead with her customers. Hour by hour the time passed with Candlehead busy mixing, stirring, cutting, rolling and baking cookies, candies, pies, and cakes for everyone. The list had grown longer and longer from both Sugar Rush and all over Litwak's. She was busy, she was tired but she couldn't let anything get her down!

This was Christmas!

And more than that….

"Santa will be watching…." The girl hummed to herself as she put the finishing touches on a Santa themed cake for the palace "I wanna be a good helper for him! He'll be so happy to see how everyone will smile this year!"

By nightfall the rush had died down. Candlehead saw that no one else was coming in, a signal that she could close up shop early. She wanted to visit the Candy Castle anyway and not one to arrive there late, Candlehead readied herself to go. The Santa cake was wrapped in a beautiful box with a shiny red bow, glitter and sprinkles placed upon it.

"Ohhh, I hope Vanellope likes it!"

Not too far away, such a girl was getting things ready herself.

"Ya know, Ralph?" Vanellope said "I'm glad we got everythin' back in order in time for tha holidays!"

Ralph clumsily tried to tie a bit of garland to the wall, the thin wire wrapping messily between his fingers "Yeah?"

"Yes!" smiled Vanellope "I mean…I forgot all this stuff existed in our game an' it makes everythin' look so much bigger! So much brighter!"

"Well, it was in your story wasn't it?" asked the Wrecker "What did tha stories say you an' your parents did for Christmas?"

Vanellope sighed, a bit of glum appearing on her face "Well, from the memories I do have my mom didn't really like sharin' too much but I'm lucky my dad did."

"What do ya mean?"

The little vanilla racer sat down, pouting a bit "I still can't believe I forgot how much I used ta be a brat an' how close I was ta actin'ilke my mom….but she always wanted things ta be PRIVATE, ya know? Save tha best parties for all tha hoity-totiy people. A lot of that other racers couldn't come because they didn't make tha list."

"Tha list?"

"Yeah, THA LIST." Vanellope sneered in disgust "Like King Candy used ta do. I 'member seein' Sakura's folks, Rancis was always there I guess but we didn't have that much fun. Not till dad was like 'I'm tired of all this snobby stuff! Let's open up to tha entire kingdom!' an' then EVERYONE was invited."

"Ya know, you're not what your backstory is…." Ralph said in a reassuring tone, worried by the way Vanellope looked.

"I know but….but I guess I'm still a lil scared that I nearly got pulled back inta that thanks to all those guys who tried ta butter me up when I got back." The racer said "An' maybe I was expectin' my story ta be so perfect too, ya know? Bein' tha Princess an' all….I guess I didn't expect tha programmers ta say I was a BRAT till tha races showed me how I could be friends with tha others."

"An' are they your friends?"

Vanellope's smile returned "Yeah. YEAH! Yeah, they are!"

She then looked out the window, seeing the bustle of the activity outside the castle. The entire horizon looked so much bigger and brighter since the full reset had happened and to see the other racers in their real homes, with their real stories, and HAPPY? That was something that felt better than any trophy she won during the races.

"This is our home, Ralph." The girl said "It finally feels like OUR home. This is tha first time we're gonna spend a PROPER Christmas together with no King Candy, with their families in their minds an'…an' together."

The big Wrecker couldn't stop the warmth from growing in his heart from the words that Vanellope had said. She always tried to play coy in the view of others but when she let the softness really come through?

He was just happy she could feel comfortable being herself.

"So what are ya gonna do first? Have anythin' special planned?"

"Of course!" smiled the racer "Gonna have a Winter Race, of course! Then Beezie and Nougie said we could go out and get special powdered sugar sweets from their village an-!"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

The two looked over, Sour Bill at the door.

"Excuse me, Miss President." The candy-man said "Miss Candlehead is awaiting for you down stairs."

"Ah, I know she has LOADS of food ready!" the girl said hungrily "I hope she brought HAM."

"What is up with everyone an' HAM?" Ralph asked "Ever since this month began, I've been hit in the face with HAM HAM HAM."

"Because December is the month of HAM." Vanellope said "An' now that Candlehead has her own kitchen, there's gonna be FEAST here! Genie better watch out because he has some competition!"

Ralph shuddered "Ya have no idea how much I pray that those two never meet for lunch…..or any other meal for that matter. If so, the entire arcade would disappear into a black hole."

Downstairs in the atrium, Candlehead was waiting for Vanellope, her gift box in her hands.

"Eee, I cannot wait for her to see it!" she giggled to herself, just itching with delight and excitement "When she sees tha cake, she will-!"

"Ah, watch it!"

"Ah?"

Candlehead turned around, seeing two little candy helpers struggling under the weight of one of the Christmas decorations for the palace. It was a large chocolate guard but it was one much too heavy for the two, the smaller of the duo struggling to hold their end up.

"No, no, no, no! I think I'm gonna drop it!"

Candlehead placed her gift on a nearby table and ran to help, taking up the middle of the chocolate decoration.

"GOT IT!"

"Whew, thanks…." Said the first little candy person "We were seconds from disaster there!"

"Oh, where is this going?"

"Out to the garden." Said the second candy helper "The Bing-Bing twins requested that this be set up next to their Jolly Berry trees but as ya can see….we may have forgotten how much this thing weighs."

"Then lemme help." Candlehead smiled "Tha more tha merrier! 'Sides, Vanellope will see tha note on tha box anyway! She'll know it was from me!"

"Sorry for intruding on your plans Miss Candlehead." Said the first helper.

"Awww, it's no problem." The girl smiled, slowly moving out towards the garden with the statue "I want this place ta look as best as it can too!"

The three then moved out of seeing distance just as Ralph and Vanellope walked in.

"Candlehead?" Vanellope called, looking here and there but she could not see the mint-chip racer ANYWHERE "Did we miss her?"

"Sour Bill said she was right here." Said Ralph "No one picked her off, I hope."

"I hear your worries, Stink-Breath." Vanellope responded, feeling the inevitable chill running up her spine "But after everythin' that happened? Calhoun made CERTAIN that no viruses would be gettin' inta this place again!"

Virus or not, Candlehead had disappeared, leaving both racer and Wrecker to wonder where she could have gone in such a quick manner.

"Well….she DOES have all that energy, I guess."

"Hey, look!" said Vanellope as she finally noticed the gift on the table "THIS must have been what Billy called us down for!"

"Nelly, wait up."

The girl glitched in front of the gift; it was from Candlehead alright, the note left on the package (as well as the copious amounts of glitter raining off of it) a clue.

"We have Candlehead's package…." Vanellope began "But no Candlehead."

"Do ya think she wants us ta put it under the tree?" asked Ralph "Or is this one of those things ya hafta open NOW?"

Vanellope sniffed the gift, feeling that it was rather warm on the bottom.

"Okay, one. This could be somethin' ta eat an' she wants us ta eat it NOW."

"An' two?"

"TWO, she found another creature, wrapped it up, an' oh please NO. I DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!"

"Uh, should I ask?"

Vanellope unwrapped the gift, a massive burst of sparkly steam ERUPTING in both characters' faces, Ralph falling over on his back as the smell of gingerbread, chocolate and other spices hit him so hard it felt like a TRAIN had collided with his face.

"WOW!" he gasped "What tha heck was THAT!?"

Vanellope looked inside, seeing the cake.

She looked…..and it looked back at her.

"Aaaah, C-Butt."

Getting back onto his feet, the big man peered down at the chocolate-spice cake inside. Candlehead had taken her time with this one, making sure that every detail on the Santa treat was in place. Not a whip of icing was out of place on his beard, his jelly-bean eyes shiny and bright, and his cherry nose was tinkling like a polished ruby.

"Holy….I guess she WOULD challenge Gene!"

Vanellope couldn't stop smiling at the luscious treat before her but something else was going on in her mind. Something that Ralph could tell was tinkering about but he just couldn't put his finger on.

"Kid?"

"I don't know if I should eat this or frame it, it looks so good."

"Well, in that case make sure ya tell Candlehead thanks." Ralph said, matter-of-factly "I know that kid put in a lotta time workin' on that thing!"

"Oh, don't think I would be so rude!" Vanellope pouted "Its just…."

"Yeah?"

Vanellope snickered "Even when King Candy was here, I watched Candlehead get all excited an' giddy about Christmas. I think outta everyone here, SHE'S always tha most excited about tha time of the year."

"Who wouldn't be?"

"Well…." Flustered Vanellope "Its just…."

"Just WHAT?"

Vanellope felt a bit embarrassed at the moment, taking the box into the kitchen, "Ralph?"

"What is it kid?"

"I…."

"Yes?"

Not too far away, Candlehead reentered the palace with the two candy people, a basket of freshly picked Jolly Berries in her hands.

"Thanks so much for lettin' me have some!" the girl said "I'll make certain ta save ya an EXTRA large jar of Jolly Berry jam! Just come by tha café for it!"

The two smiled as they bid the girl a good-bye, Candlehead skipping down the halls.

"I wonder if Vanellope found tha gift." She said to herself "Hopefully she didn't cut into it just yet before I could fix some-!"

"I just never believed in Santa…."

Candlehead came to a halt right outside the kitchen, her legs feeling as if they had turned to stone. She was just inches from the door but those inside were not aware of the pair of ears that were listening in. A horrible twitch hit the girl, almost like a glitch but it felt worse.

"Aw c'mon…." said Ralph "Everyone has at one point or another."

"I did…" said Vanellope "But I remember mom tellin' me where the presents really came from an' after that? Well, it just didn't bother me."

"Man, ya sure Turbo didn't take some cues from your parents. I mean, I know he altered the assets from your dad's clothes ta make his own costume but-!"

"Ralph, don't be so hard on me!" Vanellope said, the man hearing her voice falter a bit "I mean, okay. Other kids believe in Santa but really? It just never did it for me. I couldn't believe in him an' when King Candy sent me away, I didn't believe in him then."

"Vanellope!"

"I used ta see King Candy try ta surprise Candlehead with his yucky Santa costume an' that was enough ta make me un-believe then!"

Candlehead was shaking where she stood, remembering those times back when the fake monarch was in charge. He had dressed up on occasion to make the other racers believe and of course, SHE had always been the most excited of the lot but she knew Candy wasn't Santa.

Unbeknownst to the others, she had always stayed up to watch the night sky during those many Christmas Eves, looking up in the starlit air and whenever she saw a shooting star.

It was him.

It HAD to be him.

That had always been proof to her that Santa was real, that he was watching her, that he enjoyed the cookies that she had left.

But if Vanellope said….

"Then….then what do ya think of all tha Santas around tha arcade? Ya know Roy dresses up as Santa."

"Yeah, its good for him an' I guess its good for all tha other kids who believe in him but I guess Santa just isn't for me. I used ta think that other guys were so doofy for belivin in' him!"

OUCH.

Candlehead heard nothing else at that moment as everything she had planned and envisioned for that Christmas came tumbling down around her. Her legs no longer felt like stone but rather like jelly, jelly that was sending her down to the ground.

Santa wasn't real?

Santa was fake?

Santa didn't exist?

The wick atop the little racer's hat went out, mournful smoke drifting in the air.

Suddenly all the memories that had been restored to her felt so bleak, they felt so clouded. The words of her mother, the words of her father. They had told her about Santa, they had told her to believe in Santa but there was more to it than that.

And upon hearing Vanellope say those words….

" _H-He doesn't exist?"_

 _It no longer felt like Christmas._

Coldness crept upon Candlehead and it wasn't from the whipping winds and snow outside. It was from something else, something much more heartbreaking. Vanellope and Ralph were unaware of the girl just out of their sight and for the code of her, Candlehead didn't want them to know she was there. She forced herself up and dashed down the hall, forgetting the basket on the ground.

"Huh?"

"What is it?" asked Ralph as Vanellope hopped off the counter she was sitting on. She walked out the door, her foot hitting the basket on the floor.

"D-Did….did someone drop this?"

She looked down the halls, no one there. She then sniffed the air, a smoldering scent of wax lingering in the air.

Wax?

Oh, no.

"CANDLEHEAD!"

Ralph rushed over to the door in worry "Is she here?!"

Vanellope paled, gulping hard.

"Stink-Breath…..I-I think I messed up."


	2. Chapter 2-Tears

Chapter Two- Tears

Candlehead said nothing as she ran back to the bistro, passing by confused candy citizens along the way. They looked at her oddly, wondering what such a girl could be doing in such a rush but she ignored them. She didn't want them to see her, she didn't want them to hear her.

She busted through the doors, slamming it behind her but the bell.

She looked up.

 _Ding ding ding_

The little Santa bell.

It hung over her head, her eyes tearing up.

Vanellope told her the man did not exist and to see him over her, it was almost as if it were mocking her now. She couldn't stand to see it, she couldn't stand to see ANY of the Christmas themed items she had adorned the shop with.

 _But…_

She sobbed, sinking to the floor as she thought of her parents, their faces and their voices during that time of year. She tried to make them images strong, to make them overpower what she had heard Vanellope say about the man in red but it was no use.

If Vanellope had said it, it must be true.

She WAS the ruler of Sugar Rush after all. What she knew was best.

Was it?

Unbeknownst to the candle-headed racer, the very person in question was rushing down the halls of the Candy Castle, Ralph right on her heels.

"Aw man, I need to see C-Butt!" the girl panted "I-I never wanted her ta run out like that! I never wanted her ta hear me say those things!"

"We'll talk ta her…" said Ralph as he followed "Sh-she's an understandin' kid right?"

"I-I guess….but when she's hurt….."

Vanellope felt a shiver run down her spine; when Candlehead was hurt, the results were always dire. The girl might have been ditzy but as she found out after the defeat of Candy she was close, VERY close, to those she loved and her trust in the goodness of everything was something she held so dear. But to have it broken, to have her trust shattered, her happiness crushed?

Vanellope hated seeing it and she could only dread the look on the girl's face had she been there at the moment she uttered the words that Santa was not real.

"I hope she still talks ta me….I hope she still talks ta ANYONE."

"Talk to WHO?"

The two friends screeched on the carpet, Vanellope falling forward.

"TAFFYTA!"

Taffyta stood at the door of the library, another history book clutched in her hands.

"Um, did something happen AGAIN?" the strawberry racer asked.

"Urgh, sorry Taffy but we don't have time! We gotta get ta C-Butt's café an' stat!"

Taffyta's eyes narrowed, narrowed in that way Vanellope hated; the button had been pressed.

"Who did it." Growled Taffyta "Who's messing with Candlehead now."

"W-wait, don't go off just yet!" said Vanellope, rather nervous to tell the truth now that Taffyta had caught wind of the situation "Um…if I tell ya, promise not ta get mad. AT ME."

The strawberry racer's eyes widened; what had VANELLOPE done?

"Vanellope?"

"Look, I just ran off at the mouth!" the other girl fidgeted "C-Butt made me this Santa cake an' without thinkin' I told Ralph that I don't believe in Santa!"

Ralph could see something go in Taffyta's eyes, as if she could not BELIEVE what Vanellope had just said. Did the strawberry racer have a connection with Santa as well?

"And she heard you?"

"YES!" blurted the vanilla racer "Look, it was a stupid thing ta say but I didn't mean any harm by it! I just think that Santa is silly! I-! I-!"

Vanellope was losing steam, her head lowering. She then looked up, the racer seeing a terrifying glint of anger in Taffyta's eyes. Vanellope glitched back towards Ralph in fear.

"GAH! YOU'RE DOIN' THAT MONGOOSE LOOK YOUR MOM DID! TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF!"

Taffyta sighed, waving a hand towards the two "C'mon."

"Uh, where?" asked Ralph.

"In here." Said Taffyta "It seems that you two need ANOTHER history lesson."

Taffyta had been spending more and more time in the library since the full reset, especially since Vanellope had given her the key and full access to the place that no others had so of course it was fitting the little racer play history teacher to the two. There was still so much to learn about the game that even Vanellope was not aware of, even if she were the ruler of the land. Taffyta on the other hand, when not going off somewhere that even Vanellope respectfully did not inquire, enjoyed her new found duty of keeper of the books and stories of Sugar Rush. She climbed the tall ladder, going over to the section that was marked off and painted in Candlehead's colors.

"Ah, here we go."

Ralph and Vanellope sat on the floor, awaiting Taffyta to return to them with a tale.

"So…..ya wanna know WHY Santa is so important to ol' C-Butt?"

Vanellope nodded, her eyes glowing bright. Taffyta took a strawberry hair clip from her pocket, pinning back her bangs to allow for a better view of the picture and text before plopping herself in the big candied armchair.

"Alright, let's begin."

 _Candlehead's parents came from different outlooks and different families. While Castalla, her mother, grew up in the city, Meiji, her father grew up on a farm. There weren't many kids his age to play with and over time he began to think that he never needed them. During the holidays however, there was one thing that Meiji did that always put a smile on his otherwise grumpy face._

 _He would look up at the stars and wait to see Santa._

 _His father had told him of the man, of the joy he would bring and ever since he was a little boy Meiji had always looked forward to that magical night during the cold winters._

 _When he arrived to our Candy Kingdom as a young man, he then met Castalla who quickly and eagerly took him around to show him all the excitement that could be found, eventually unwrapping his foil-covered heart to reveal a sweet chocolate center within. With their love came marriage and with the marriage came a daughter, Candlehead._

 _Christmas has always been Candlehead's favorite time of year to spend with her family but the truth as to why it means so much to her only came about when she was only five, not even old enough or big enough to get into a kart. One night on Christmas, something had gone wrong in the kitchen which left Meiji in a bad mood. Candlehead hated seeing her father in a bad mood and so, in an attempt to cheer him up, she went up to the storage room to find something to cheer him up. What she found was something that even Meiji had forgotten he had brought over from his farm._

 _It was one of his little Santa figures, one that he had painted and made himself when he was a child._

 _Candlehead came down the stairs to find Meiji upset at Castalla over the order but she then showed him the figure, Meiji going quiet._

 _He looked; he could not speak nor could he take his eyes off what he was seeing._

 _He had forgotten about the little thing, he had forgotten about how much fun he had at Christmas, how even alone he always had that one night to look forward to. Looking up at the shooting stars to see which one was Santa flying by._

 _In that moment, Meiji forgot his anger, he forgot the frustration, he forgot about EVERYTHING that had taken his happiness away._

 _He knelt down…._

 _And pulled Candlehead into a hug._

" _Daddy, are ya upset?"_

" _No." said Meiji "I'm just glad I have you."_

 _Since that moment, Meiji had promised himself not to make Christmas into a chore and the family would stay up until they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer, waiting for Santa coming down from the shooting stars. Candlehead would wait with her parents, wait for Santa as she wanted to meet him. She wanted to meet him not for the presents but to thank him._

 _Why?_

 _She wanted to thank Santa for making her father so happy even during those times he was alone._

Taffyta closed the book, Ralph and Vanellope looking stunned at what had been told to them.

"Even when King Candy was here…." The strawberry racer said "Candlehead would still wait. Even when our memories were locked, she would still wait for Santa."

Vanellope gulped, trying to hold back the sadness that was coming over her "C-Candy-…..TURBO. He wiped our memories of our backstories, of our parents, of our families. If Candlehead didn't remember her parents, OUR parents, then why did she still wait?"

"Because she wanted US to smile…." Taffyta said, Ralph hearing the mournful tone in her voice "She ALWAYS wanted us to smile. Turbo might have put on a show but she knew better than that. She knew his Santa could never match the real thing."

Real thing?

Did TAFFYTA believe in Santa as well?

"She would come to my house and wait and wait. I would fall asleep but when I'd wake up, she would be there right by the window, sound asleep. She always told me she had a feeling that there was something SPECIAL about Santa to her but she could never figure out WHY. She just assumed it was because of us but after the full reset?"

"I-I understand…" Vanellope sniffed, wiping her eyes "I-I just never knew 'bout all that stuff with her. I-I'm sorry, Taff. I'm still learnin' about all of it."

Taffyta didn't smile, looking back at Vanellope as she returned the book into its proper place "I'm not the one you need to talk to, Nelly. CANDLEHEAD is."

"But do ya think she'll even listen?" the girl said "Y-Ya know how she gets when someone-!"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?!" snapped Taffyta, scaring Vanellope a tad. The strawberry racer caught herself, trying her best to hide her own feelings in the moment "Vanellope, I know you didn't mean anything about it. It's not like you flat out told her that Santa didn't exist just to get a rise out of her. You're not going out of your way to tease her about it so she will forgive you."

"But this was BIG, Taffyta. This meant somethin' ta her, ta her entire FAMILY! An' I just up an' ruined it for her!"

"Vanellopeeeeeee…."

"I gotta do somethin' about it, but I don't know WHAT!" the vanilla racer pondered. Taffyta said nothing, her back still turned on the girl as she pretended to look through the books.

"You're Vanellope Von Schweetz, remember? You're ALWAYS right in the end anyway so I'm sure it will come to you."

Maybe?

Maybe not….

Vanellope was stumped and upset, but perhaps she could figure something out.

Hopefully.


	3. Chapter 3- Families

Chapter Three- Families

" _Daddy?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Before ya met mama, what was Christmas like for ya?"_

"… _.It was…..it was….."_

" _Ah-huh?"_

" _I'm thankful that I had my father but…for the longest time it was just the two of us. I didn't have any friends to play with back then and I was scared to tell them I believed in Santa."_

" _Why wouldn't they believe in Santa?! He's REAL!"_

"… _.Yes, I know he is. But I couldn't say it, no matter how much I believe. But on those Christmas Eve nights I would wait and look out my window. Even after your grandfather told me to go to bed I would sneak out and look into the skies. Some years it was clear as sugar-glass but others it was cloudy as the snow fell so hard. But I would always look, always look for that shooting star."_

" _Because that was Santa?"_

" _Yes. And when I saw it, I knew…..I knew he would be there soon and that I could smile that Christmas."_

" _I like it when ya smile, daddy…."_

"… _Really?"_

" _Yeah! But I wanna see tha smile on your face when Santa comes an' I can tell him how much I love ya an' how good you've been AAAAALLLLLLL these years!"_

" _Thank you, little candle. Thank you."_

* * *

Candlehead sat on her bed, looking out at the skies above. The night air was clear yet cold but not as cold as she felt inside. She held the picture of her parents close to her, wishing and wishing that they were in the game. Their pictures dotted the apartments and the images of their forms and their voices were clear when she shut her eyes but of all the times they needed to be there, that she needed to feel their warmth….

This was it.

Back at the castle, Vanellope was trying to think of a plan, ANYTHING to return Candlehead to her bright form.

"Ohh, why can't I think of anythin'?!" the girl paced around the room, Ralph watching on.

"Can I suggest somethin'?"

"YES!"

"How about ya take this in a much CALMER way kid….."the man said, motioning his hands towards the ground "Sit down, take a few breaths an' you'll be able ta think clearer."

"RALPH!"

"Just try it."

Vanellope collapsed onto the floor in protest, moaning loudly "UUUUURGH! This isn't workin'!"

Ralph sat sadly by, feeling bad for both Vanellope and Candlehead "Man, poor kid. From tha way tha others were goin' 'bout it, it sounded like she was REALLY excited for Christmas this year since tha game was fully reset."

"GEE RALPH! THANKS FOR MAKIN' ME FEEL WORSE!"

The girl flopped over, her face in the carpet.

" _MMMMURPH. Wuf can aif doof?"_

"Do ya have any memories of tha game AFTER tha great race?" Ralph said "Any Christmases ya guys spent after tha whole rival thing was cleared up?"

"Nooooo…." Lurched the little racer "I mean…..I think I saw some Christmas themed PICTURES in our code cache but I can't remember a STORY!"

"Well….."

"Well, WHAT?"

"Think, Vanellope. THINK."

Vanellope DID think but she just couldn't put her hands on what Ralph was talking about.

Or maybe….

Taffyta had gone on about how SPECIAL Christmas was to Candlehead's FAMILY.

Then maybe FAMILIES were the answer to all of it!

Vanellope glitched to her feet, looking as if she had been shocked right on her bottom.

"Kid?"

"C'mon!" Vanellope rushed off "We need ta talk ta tha others!"

Vanellope began looking for the others, questions on her mind in a grave search for a way to patch up the mistake she had made.

"They have stories…." The girl repeated to herself "An' those stories will be just tha key ya fix this!"

First stop? Rancis' cottage, the son of the Royal page wrapping gifts when the girl had arrived. She was out of breath but she managed to ask the question;

"R-Rancis! What did you family do for Christmas?!"

The boy was rather shocked by the question but after an explanation he finally understood.

"My parents separated…." The boy began "Mum was busy traveling the far reaches of our world, looking for new cultures and discoveries but she always made time to come as often as she could to watch my races. She wanted to be there and see them."

"An' Christmas?"

"Christmas?" Rancis smiled "She would return home and all three of us, mother, father, myself, we would enjoy the time together and talk about things that had gone on. I'm well aware of the circumstance that lead to my parents splitting, they told me what had happened and I never faulted them for it but I was happy to see that they still got along, even if it was just for that time."

Vanellope was a little surprised at how maturely Rancis had spoken of such a thing as she was used to him going about, prancing about his looks or various other things dealing with his pride and vanity.

But in the end, he did love his family.

And for the others?

* * *

"Our parents died when we were young…." Began Nougetsia "So our Aunt Bomba took care of us."

Ralph felt a little punch in the gut when Nougetsia had said those words; he wasn't aware that such a thing had happened to the two popsicle sisters.

"But on Christmas…." Adorabeezle smiled shyly "Sh-she would hold a special event throughout the entire village. She would stop business for those days and everyone would have fun, especially after our first big race."

"Wh-when everyone came together?" asked Vanellope, Adorabeezle nodding happily.

"Yes! When the first race was completed, Auntie said that she just wanted to have a family again and after that, her outlook changed. She enjoyed life with us a lot more, especially during Christmas!"

The Zaki Triplets?

"Urgh, this place was HORRIBLE durin' tha holidays!" scoffed Minty "Tha inn was always packed n' me n' my sisters had ta work triple-shift ta make sure that guest were taken care of!"

"But-!" said Torvald with a smile "Mom and dad would always plan a special feast for all the guest an' even better! Some of the guest brought their own dishes and we would share them!"

"Yup!" said Sticky "And daddy would pull out the projector and we'd watch all these old movies! It was so much fun! We'd have so many new friends at this place!"

The Bing-Bings?

"Family from both sides would come!" Began Jubileena cheerfully.

"Some from the North, some from the East." Continued Citrusella calmly.

"Their traditions were different but they would all come together." The two said together, holding their hands.

Vanellope grinned, enjoying the stories she was being told from the other racers.

To Snowanna?

"It was different every year!" chirped Snowanna as she tuned her guitar "Sometimes, we would go outta town. Ya know, since mom and dad had concerts EVERYWHERE! Because of that, I got ta see how Christmas and other holidays were done all over tha Sugar Rush world! It was so cool!"

"Wow…." Said Vanellope "Even I didn't get ta travel that much, at least what I can remember from our backstories."

From Sakura

"Mom always had to fill in orders, daddy always had to film something." The girl puffed, twirling her wrist "So we were busy."

"Ya mean ya didn't get ta do ANYTHIN'?"

"What? Oh, ho-ho-ho! Of course not!" the matcha racer said "Mom and dad were busy so _**I**_ made Christmas for them! I can remember when I started the tradition when I was three….I put on a PLAY for the two and since then I made it my duty to surprise them with a little performance. You know, since I DO have the code of Sugar Rush's GREATEST act- _ **TORS**_ and fashion designer in my veins. Ah, how could I NOT show off my skills?"

Ah, Sakura….never change.

Vanellope and Ralph forced feeble laughs, knowing that if they were not to leave soon than Sakura would only go on and on about the roles her father took on, ESPECIALLY in the Christmas themed movies.

On to Swizzle!

"Meh, mom n' me? We never celebrated Christmas."

"Really?!"

"Well, not in a sense like ya guys always did. All the trees and stuff? Lights and everything? It was never our thing. We just made up our OWN celebration. We'd save our favorite dishes for that night and if it snowed, we'd build HUGE ice forts an' try ta make bots that would tear 'em down!"

"Heh, sounds like a lil Wrecker in tha makin'…" chuckled Ralph.

"But most importantly, when it was all winding down, we'd both stop and look out into the sky an' remember dad."

"S-Salvador?"

Swizz nodded, the smile on his face as strong as ever "Mom would tell me stories about how he loved winter. All because back where he grew up it was so hot the only time he saw SNOW was in someone's COOLER. He loved snow when he came here so that's what we did. We just set time for a special day to just remember our family."

Vanellope and Ralph then moved onto Crumbelina.

Would she even TALK about such a thing to them.

"Christmas…." The girl began, a candy butler handing her a cup of tea "Christmas….."

There was a long pause, a pause that was awkward and heavy. The giant grandfather clock ticked loudly in the room, Vanellope feeling nervous and itchy yet Crumbelina still said nothing. She was in the chair, propped up with one hand on her cheek, the other daintily holding the cup of tea.

"Um….'Belina…."

More silence.

"Aah…."

And then….

A smile?

A tiny one, but it was a smile.

"Christmas…." The girl began "How much we smiled. How much we sang. So rare an occasion to see such looks on my parents' faces. But how we enjoyed ourselves."

Ralph looked up in the big hall, seeing the MASSIVE portrait of the Di Carmello family hanging above little Crumbelina. She was sitting under her own little empire of her command but as she thought about Christmas she returned to the mindset of that of a child, like she had always meant to be.

"Our family would smile. To see them smile so much. It was what I enjoyed most."

And then…

The silence returned.

"Er…..I….I think we got it covered…." Vanellope meeped, sweating bullets "But thanks an-anyway 'Belina."

And finally….

GLOYD.

"Christmas?" the boy cackled "My mom couldn't cook, my dad couldn't wrap presents. We would yell an' scream an' fuss. It was a MESS!"

"Gloyd!" gasped Vanellope "That sounds HORRIBLE!"

"HORRIBLE!" the boy laughed "HA! It was the best moment of my life! One time mom got tired of dad complainin' 'bout tha pie she made so she put BOMB-POWDER in it and BOOM! He was covered from head ta toe in chocolate puddin'!"

The boy was laughing so hard he was nearly crying, his sides aching.

"Oh! An' then ta get her back, he put on her LEAST favorite Christmas song an' began SINGING it for HOURS! She screamed but wooo-OOOO-oooooo! He kept goin'!"

It was obvious enough that Christmas at the Orangeboar place, like every other moment of their lives, was rather….COMICAL.

But either way, Vanellope had all that she wanted.

"Got it!" the girl said as she read off her list "I talked ta EVERYONE 'bout their family Christmas an-!"

WAIT!

Everyone?

"OH!" the girl gasped, realizing that there was ONE person she had not talked to on the matter "How could I have forgotten?!"

"Forgotten WHO?" asked Ralph.

Some distance away, near the collection of shops, a little racer danced along to music upstairs in her parents' studio. The music was always there to calm her down, to remind her of her history, to remind her of her story.

" _Laaa….laaaa…..laaaaaaaa."_ she purred, twirling gracefully on her feet, feeling as light as cotton-candy. She had been doing this since the reset, a way to rehabilitate herself after the near crash she had lead herself down and the disastrous effects of the Beta-Virus infecting the game.

Taffyta had her family story back and she remembered that aside from racing she had her love of dancing.

Just like her mother.

And that was something she wanted to continue.

"Taffyta?"

The girl squeaked and nearly tumbled, looking over to see Ralph and Vanellope at the door.

"Guys!"

"Sorry we didn't knock…." Said Vanellope "But we're in a hurry an' we need your output on this!"

"On WHAT exactly?"

"CHRISTMAS!" Vanellope said "Or….ta put it better, what your family DID for Christmas."

Why did Vanellope have to remind her of what had happened in the castle? The girl frowned, turning back and stretching in place.

"Those things are PRIVATE, Vanellope."

"C'mon Taffy!" pleaded the vanilla racer "Ralph an' I have been runnin' EVERYWHERE! We're EXHAUSTED an' you're tha last person on our list!"

"Then by that measure, I'm sure you have enough."

"Taffyta, AURG! Don't do this!" growled Vanellope.

"Really, what could MY story add? You already have enough, I know it!"

"Taffyta, listen." Said Vanellope "I messed up big time with Candlehead on this Santa stuff. I just said somethin' without thinkin' how it would affect everyone else…."

Taffyta said nothing, a wave of guilt washing over her.

"But if there is anythin' I've got from tryin' ta fix this, its that all ya guys have some story on Christmas with your families. There is no way I'm gonna miss out yours."

"Vanellope….."

"Taffyta, just-!"

"Kid, back up a bit…." Ralph sighed "If Taffyta isn't comfortable with it, we have no right ta force her ta tell us anythin'!"

"But Ralph."

"Vanellope, give her room."

"Oh, okay….." the vanilla racer moaned in disappointment "But it just doesn't seem right…."

Ralph and Vanellope left, the two going down the stairs but Taffyta remained silent, hearing their footsteps creaking on the wooden stairs down the studio loft until they finally left her home.

"She's been actin' like this since tha reset Ralph!"

"Well…."

"I would have thought that everythin' we went through, all that stuff from that stupid virus! She would come back!"

"It's like I said, kid…." Ralph continued "Some people just need their space. Maybe she'll-"

"Maybe?" snorted Vanellope "I know how Taffyta can be….even when I can't pry somethin' outta here, there is no way she's gonna let it out."

The racer kicked the dirt, her hands going into her pockets.

"I just wish….we're all supposed ta be friends again? I wanted ta know more about her family because…well, it reminds me of how much we still have here."

Upstairs, a figure watched from the windows.

She couldn't hide it any longer.

She couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"WAIT!"

Vanellope and Ralph turned their heads up, Taffyta waving her hand out the window "D-Don't leave!"

"Taffyta?"

The little racer rushed from the windows out into the streets, her face filled with a strange sort of surprise and excitement.

"I-I-!"

Vanellope wanted to listen.

She had always wanted to share.

And this might have been her only chance.

"O-Okay, you wanted to know what my story said we did at Christmas?" Taffyta said as she looked down at the ground.

"Yes, please tell us!" said Vanellope "I hafta ta know! Ta make everythin' PERFECT!"

"Perfect?" blinked the other racer "Nelly, what are you planning?"

"I can't tell ya now! It would ruin so much…." Smiled Vanellope "But what happened in the Muttonfudge Studio? Fancy parties? Dancing sessions?"

Taffyta blushed something awful "Not exactly…."

"Then what?" Vanellope smiled curiously "What went on….."

"You see….."

Ralph and Vanellope were looking right at the girl, wanting to hear her tale and after a few moments of fidgeting Taffyta had to give in.

Why hide it anymore.

She smirked, crossing her arms "Lemme tell ya like this. You have one man who spent most of his time in the cirus and a woman who spent most of her time in a place where she had never seen snow or never fully grasped the concept of Santa AT ALL."

"An'?"

"Hmmph, in some instances _**I**_ had to teach them a thing or two about Christmas."

Vanellope's eyes nearly popped from her head "REALLY?!"

 _As the story was told, of Muttonfudges long ago….._

* * *

Malva rested on the floor, the large woman looking ponderously at the Christmas book her young child had given her. She turned the book one way then another, her face clearly showing a look of pure confusion.

"Baby-Doll, I'm looking at this man and all I see is something who could double as your father's FATHER."

Berlingots looked up, his already chubby red cheeks going redder "C'mon, Malva! I don't look that bad, MERDE!"

"No mama, that's SANTA CLAUS!" the young strawberry child said, point to the picture in the book.

"Claws?" the woman said, motioning her hands in a claw-like fashion.

"CLAUUUUUS!" sang out Taffyta

"Ooookay." Said the woman, smiling over towards her husband "But maybe in twenty or so years, THIS is what your father will look like. I mean, he already has the stomach area covered!"

"Yeah, keep laughing mon PETIIIIIIITE." Huffed the little mustached man, sticking out his tongue "At least I KNOW who Santa is! Who was the one who blanked out when we were shopping?"

"I grew up on a hot, strawberry farm several thousand miles from here with no indication of who these particular holiday figures were or how to celebrate it in this fashion. What did you EXPECT me to know?"

Berlingots snickered, returning to his job of wrapping gifts "And here I thought that Malva Muttonfudge knew EVERYTHING. At least that's how you act around me."

"Oh, go back to your wrapping, BERNIE."

"NOW, daddy." Smiled the little Taffyta as she ran over to her father "Have ya ever hung STOCKINGS?"

The chubby little man looked down at his daughter, looking as if he had said something to her in alien language "…. _ **NO.**_ "

"Well, we gotta do that too! Ya take your stockin' an' hang 'em over tha fireplace an' then Santa leaves presents in them!"

"That sounds like the most disgusting thing I have ever heard and I want to whomp the person who told you."

"Daddy, NOOOOO!"

"Sorry little blossom-bud, but back in my day stockings were meant to wash and dry given how many times Candicus made me do it for disobeying him." Berlingots responded, shrugging his shoulders "Those years I spent on the road with him? We never had a lot of Christmasy things going on."

"An' that's why I'm gonna teach ya!" said the tiny, gap-toothed Taffyta, standing tall as she looked at her father "I'm gonna teach both of ya how ta have tha best CHRISTMAS ever!"

The little strawberry man smiled, patting his daughter on the head "The best?"

"Yup, tha best!" nodded his daughter, hugging his arm tightly "I'mma teach ya all 'bout Santa Claus an' stockin's an' everythin' eles!"

Malva looked over, her cheeks warming over as she looked at just how happy both her husband and daughter were.

"Baby, come here."

Taffyta looked over, Malva motioning for the girl.

"Yes, mama?"

"You're just as head-strong as your father…" the woman sighed happily, poking the little girl on the nose "And that's why I love you both."

"I love ya too, mama." Taffyta said with a huge grin.

"No, love for MEEEEE?" whined the little strawberry man, puffing out his fat cheeks in a pretend pout "Fine, I'mma eat all tha cookies for Santa then."

"Santa eats cookies?" asked Malva.

"Goodness, darling. Even if my Christmases used to SUCK even I know that!"

"Well, at least _**I**_ knew about the stockings thing! I've been enough performances to know that they play a role in certain Christmas traditions!"

"You've been dancing for how long and you've never seen Santa?" Berlingots said teasingly, putting a finger under Malva's chin "Oh wait. Maybe big bad Malva was scared of Santa just like PUPPETS so that's why ya blocked it out!"

"BERLINGOTS!" Malva growled, standing up and towering over the Christmas tree in the room but it was clear that a trigger had been flipped, the woman now blushing even pinker than her hair "Th-that's not true and you know it!"

"Really? Then you should be REALLY happy with the present I got your big butt this year!" the man said, shaking a box in front of his wife "Hay, hay! I wanna be your FWEIND, Mally! I'mma just a fuzzy widdle bug eyed PUPPET ready ta hug ya!"

"Bernie, I swear I'm going to toss you from here back to whatever hovel you came from if that's what you got me."

"Aw baby, not in front of the baby!"

"I'M NOTTA BABY! I'M FIVE!" screamed Taffyta, holding up four fingers instead of those matching her age "An'if ya two don't behave, Santa's not gonna bring you no presents!"

* * *

"And things continued like that…." Smiled the little strawberry racer, clutching her arms tightly. It was a little sad thinking back to those stories, if only because in a way they were just that; STORIES.

Sure, they proved that there was more to the racers than just being a challenge for Vanellope to go against but in a way, the memories were bitter sweet. The sweetness came in knowing that they were there, that the group had something good and happy to look back on, serving as a way to push them forward but at the same time they couldn't truly recollect those memories with the people who meant the most in them.

Their parents.

Vanellope could feel the goosebumps forming on her skin, her own memories of Christmas starting to return stronger than ever.

There had been celebrations, there had been parties but from what Vanellope remembered it just wasn't as homely and as close as the others' sounded. They all sounded like they enjoyed their outings but with her?

It was all show, all fluff. Just Milka trying to show off the royal family and Vanellope following suit. The upper crust kids were there but once they were gone, once they had returned to their homes apparently the real celebrations began. And those who were not invited to those fancy little parties?

They made due just fine.

CANDLEHEAD had made due just fine.

It was starting to hit harder than ever why Candlehead had clung so tightly to those memories and why her belief in Santa was so strong. It was something that made her HAPPY, something that she remembered making the people she LOVED happy. To hear that he couldn't possibly exist, it must have felt like the memories of seeing Meiji smile were just as fake, that his cheer wasn't real.

Candlehead, the other racers to boot, had already gotten enough from the arcade after the fall of Turbo. They had been told how horrible they were, how they could never be anything but trouble to Vanellope's superior skills and that they didn't have stories, that they didn't have families to love them. Upon finding out that they DID, upon finding out that their memories were still there, what had Vanellope gone and done?

She had ripped part of them away once more.

"Aw man…." Vanellope murmured to herself "She just wanted ta share some happiness with her. She just wanted ta make me smile like she did with her folks."

"Huh?" Taffyta said, looking up.

"C-Butt…." Said a sad Vanellope "I mean…..yeah. I don't believe in Santa but…..but I shouldn't have said it like that. But I just didn't know! I never knew ya guys had so much ta do on….on Christmas."

Taffyta turned away, looking a tad embarrassed "Its not like we've actually had enough time to share everything. We still have so much to uncover."

"I know, I know…." Nodded the other girl "But I'm still gonna set this right for Candlehead! She went outta her way ta make Christmas happen for everyone here! She didn't have ta but she did it because she LOVES it! Now that I have everythin' I need, its MY turn!"

"What's your plan?"

"It's a BIG one…" winked the vanilla racer, taking Taffyta by the hand "One that I'm gonna need all tha help I can get ta make sure nothin' goes wrong!"


	4. Chapter 4- Muddled

Chapter Four – Muddled

The Candle-Wick Café was quiet that night. No one could see if the owner of the little restaurant was in for the lights were dim and not a smell of baking goodies could be detected. A few candy people walked about here and there but there was no sign of festivities, no signs of warmth or joy.

They looked about, seeing that the windows had been washed to remove the white paint used for snow, that the garlands and the decorations had been removed.

Where was the festive love?

Where was Candlehead?

She was home but the little racer had retired to the upstairs section of the little shop, alone in her room. She had tired herself out from removing all the Christmas decorations in the house, not wanting to see a single one of them after what she had heard from Vanellope. She felt cold, she felt heavy and glum as she looked around, a tiny bit of light creeping into her room from the hallway. Laying atop the bed, the little racer moved her head, seeing the little crack of the door from the room next over from hers.

It was her parents' room.

Well, if they had been fully implemented into the game.

It was as Taffyta had said; the whole reset of the game had been a bittersweet reward in of itself. While their memories had returned, while their homes had been reset to what was supposed to be there, not to what Turbo had wanted, the entire lot of racers were still alone in their own game. The houses, the apartments, the shops and the castle had all been reset to show that there were families, that there were more than one occupants around but the kids were all that were there. There were pictures of their families, sounds of their families, MEMORIES of their families but nothing physical.

The racers could recall the good times they had been programmed with their parents but that was it. Even as much as they wanted to they could not actually call out to them, they could not hug them, laugh with them, share with them.

And that was something that Candlehead desperately needed at that moment.

She shut her eyes tight, a feeble little mew of a whine coming from her. All she wanted was her father to come in and tell her that it would be alright, that things would be okay, that no matter what anyone said that there was a Santa and he would be there. That he would come as he had always promised and make everyone happy, as he had been happy even when he was a little boy.

But Meiji did not come; he did not come because he was not there.

And Candlehead had never felt so cold.

* * *

"Okay, we need to set up the tables!" Vanellope panted as she ran through the castle "No, no! Get that Jelly-Baby outta there! We need to make sure everythin' is set up an' ready ta go!"

Everyone in the Candy Castle was running about, gathering up decorations and supplies for a Christmas party unlike any they had seen before! The racers were scattered about with various tasks, whether it was making certain that each dish came out just perfect or to make sure that nary a tree was out of line.

"We only have an HOUR people!" shouted Vanellope "ONE. HOUR! Everythin' has ta be PERFECT!"

"Um, remind us why we're doin' this again?" snickered Gloyd. Vanellope growled in exhaustion.

"'Cuz I ran at tha mouth an' busted up someone's Christmas, that's why!"

"Kid…."

The vanilla racer turned around, Ralph approaching her with a massive cake in his hand.

"Look, while I think its admirable for ya ta be doin' this for Candlehead, don't ya think this might be goin' a bit overboard?"

"Overboard?" Vanellope panted, CLEARLY beyond the point of OVERBOARD "Stink-Breath, this is CHRISTMAS we're talkin' 'bout here an' C-Butt is tha MASTER of makin' parties! If I wanna make it up ta her, I have ta surpass all that an' MORE! I can't just put a measly cake on tha table an' go 'Oh, here ya go! Also, sorry that I said Santa didn't exist! Merry Christmas!"

The girl felt a hand going on her head, looking up to see Ralph glancing at her worryingly "You're gonna come up ta a crash if ya push yourself, then how are ya gonna celebrate then?"

"But Ralph-!" Vanellope gasped, glitching out from under the man's hand "THIS! HAS! TO! BE! PERFECT!"

"I understand that but still-!"

Vanellope glitched again, ignoring the man's warnings "C'mon, double-time! MOVE IT!"

By now, everyone was in a fever pitch to get the entire castle ready but as the seconds ticked by it only meant that those in charge were getting more and more restless. They knew a deadline was coming but as Vanellope had ordered, things had to be PERFECT! Candy people were zipping by faster and faster, trying to put this there, trying to put that here! It was getting crazier and crazier, their little sugar minds and nerves wound up tighter and tighter than a spring.

It had to happen.

It was GOING to happen.

Something was going to get set off.

Vanellope was on her third lap from around the castle, nearly to the point of exhaustion when she noticed that one of the helpers had left a garland out of place.

"Hey!" she breathed heavily "C-Careful! We don't want to trip now do we?"

"Just toss it over here!" called Swizz waving his arms "We need one more over here to complete the design!"

"O-Okay!" shouted Vanellope, wiping her brow and clearly tired from glitching too much too fast. She picked up the garland and aimed as best she could but the chuck she launched at Swizz was less than stellar.

"VANELLOPE! WATCH-!"

BOOM!

LESS than STELLAR!

"AUUURGH!"

Swizz cried out as the garland hit him in the face and wrapped slightly around his head, startling him on the latter as he then stumbled.

"SWIZZLE!" Vanellope gasped, trying to glitch to save him but he was too far and her limit had been used up, resulting in the girl coming nowhere near close enough to help him in time. With a gasp and a scream, Swizz fell from the tall ladder, only to land upon a rather chubby doughnut decorator who happened to be strolling by.

"OOF!"

Thanks to his CHUBBY frame, the doughnut person had prevented the racer from getting injured but he stumbled down, dropping his tray on the floor.

"Oh, watch out!" he cried in worry, reaching out as he saw the tray fly into the air-!

BANG!

"GWAAAURGH!"

And hit one of the cooks in the face. The cook was knocked back sharply and hit a few ju-ju bee carolers who were tossed EVERYWHERE in the large room!

What happened next was a terrific mess.

With the ju-ju bees thrown around, people began to duck for cover and in their panic more things were knocked down and knocked into people. Snowanna was pushed right into a set-up of chairs and as she fell into them they tumbled over like dominos, finally reaching their end journey as they knocked both Jubileena and Citrusella over! The girls cried out as they fell hard on the ground, scaring some of their candy helpers away who got twisted and tangled into the lights, their struggling pulling the strings from the walls and taking down various things and people with them!"

"Guys!" Vanellope cried out "Stop, STOP! PLEASE STOP! JUST DON'T-!"

The girl didn't look down in time to notice that her friends weren't the only ones who were in trouble for below her, her feet became entangled in more lights and garland and as the heavy weight was thrown through the air….

" _ **YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

So was Vanellope!

"VANELLOPE!" Ralph cried out in horror but he was a hair too late to save his friend, the girl ending up being FLUNG into the air only to end up trapped, pinned, tired, and covered in sticky candies and other things at the very top of the ceiling, a perfect perch for her to watch as everything began to disintegrate and collapse in front of her.

"No, no, NO!" she cried out, nearly to the point of tears "STOP! IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GO THIS WAY! STOP, PLEASE!"

But it only continued to go on. Crumbelina was flung into a mass of trees and down they went, only to scare off Sakura who ended up falling into a pile of gifts and boxes, their journey down to the ground result in a few windows being broken as they LAUNCHED out of the palace. Gloyd and Rancis tried their best to stop the flying packages but the boys ended up pelted by them, pumpkin and peanut-butter rolling like balls into more of the candy helpers.

The Mint sisters ended up being the targets this time around, their gingerbread houses ending up in a mass of crumbles and candy as they were knocked from their hands. One house landed up upon the noggin of Nougetsia and in a fevered attempt to help her sister, Adorabeezle ended up tripping in a wreath and rolling down the long spiraling stairway, only adding to the mass of insanity and destruction that was happening.

Ralph tried his best to help but he too ended up worse off than he wanted, the man getting his huge feet tied together with wrapping paper and crashing to the ground like the mighty mountain of a man that he was, more things falling over. Vanellope was HORRIFIED, kicking her legs and screaming as her carefully planned party was turning into a shamble of failure.

"AAAUGH! SOMEONE STOP THIS! SOMEONE-!"

" _ **WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"**_

And in an instant!

Silence.

Everyone looked over to see Taffyta standing in front of the door, a look of complete shock on her face as she looked around. She had been safely away in the kitchen but she had head every sound of the commotion that had gone on, much too stunned to even string words together to what she saw. She looked to her right and there were racers hurt and covered in who knew what, she looked to the left and it was pretty much the same.

And then she looked up.

And there was Vanellope, the girl blushing terrible and crying softly.

" _Vanellope?"_

The vanilla racer turned shamefully, glitching but unable to escape from the ties.

"Guys!" Taffyta shouted suddenly "What are you doing?! Get her down, get her down!"

The candy people nervously, but quickly, got to their feet and made work to unsnag the President from her predicament but as she touched ground, she stood limply before everyone. They expected her to say something, anything, but she could not. All she do was look at the ground, refusing to even take so much of a glance at the mess that was before her.

A mess that had started because of her.

"Is everyone okay?" Taffyta asked, turning towards the others and then Vanellope "Nothing too bad?"

Vanellope remained silent, wiping her nose as she sniffled.

"Vanellope?"

Taffyta could see the girl's face twisting in anguish, a shock to say the least.

"Are you okay?"

Once more, only silence was given.

Taffyta got a good look at the castle, the entire building DESTROYED not unlike what had happened when Beta had attacked.

But if there was anything she had learned from the Beta attacks, it wasn't to fold in. And seeing Vanellope crying before her, the strawberry racer wasn't just going to allow TWO friends to lose to such unfortunate happenings.

Vanellope on the other hand was still trying to force a word out, anything to say to what had happened but what could she say after everything had fallen apart around her? All she had wanted to do was make up for one mistake but in the process of doing that she had put every single one of her friends and helpers right in the middle of an even BIGGER mistake. A mistake that was still painted all over her.

" _I-I bet you're happy to see this…."_

Ralph looked down, seeing something going off in Taffyta's eyes, as if she could not believe that Vanellope had uttered such a thing, as if the vanilla racer had EXPECTED the taffy-girl to enjoy the humiliation she had received.

And then he saw that spark, that spark that came in all racers' eyes when something hit them right in the very center of their code.

What was Taffyta Muttonfudge thinking?

"Vanellope…." The girl began, a serious look on her face "Get cleaned up."

The vanilla looked up, surprised at the other girl's reply "W-What?"

"Get cleaned up and then get Candlehead….." said the Muttonfudge racer, her arms out as she signaled some of the candy helpers back into the kitchen "Same with the rest of you guys. Get cleaned up"

"Yeah, but what about you?"

"Me?" said Taffyta, turning back to her friends "I've got things covered."


	5. Chapter 5- Apologies

Chapter Five- Apologies

"Urgh, how much junk did I get in my hair?" Vanellope mumbled as she tried her best to remove the remainder of the previous disaster off her. While most of the mess had been taken care on the OUTSIDE, the girl still felt horrible on the INSIDE.

All the work she had planned to do for Candlehead that Christmas; the planning, the party, the celebration. It had all gone South in a matter of moments and the only thing she had to show for it was a messy castle.

But then she remembered what Taffyta had done. The strawberry racer had something planned but whatever it was, it was sealed tight and the only thing Vanellope could do was worry what exactly her friend was planning. Most of the time, Vanellope would have found some snarky comment to dig up and give as a reply but this time, after seeing what an off-side comment could do, the girl found herself speechless in this situation.

Maybe for this trek, it would be better to see what the others had to offer to fix things. After all, she had promised herself to let the other racer help out more and more so maybe this was for the best.

And yet….

Vanellope still wanted to see. She wanted to see just what Taffyta had planned. Once she saw that she was in proper order, the vanilla racer took off downstairs as fast as she could but the closer she got to the main floor.

"Hey, what's that smell?"

Gingerbread?

Cake?

Chocolate?

The halls of the castle were filled with all sorts of warm, Christmassy scents, enough to stop Vanellope in her tracks right at the base of the steps. The room were immaculate, the helpers making sure that nothing was out of place and that everything was set back right as it should have been. The other racers, having cleaned themselves up some time ago, were back to decorating the halls and this time they were not in a rush. Things were getting set up perfectly but what struck Vanellope the most was how at-home the entire castle looked.

It just felt….RIGHT, looking up at the trinkets and bows that hung around. Upon closer inspection, the girl saw that the decorations were not standard castle-issued but rather….

"Did….did the guys make this?" the girl said, looking at a little snowflake that appeared to be cut from construction paper.

"Guys, hang them over here!"

Vanellope turned, seeing Adorabeezle and Nougetsia leading a group of their candy fans into the halls with even more paper snowflakes, the vanilla racer left slack-jawed as the two hung onto their beautifully crafted goods.

"Okay, hang those up near the North end…." Smiled Nougetsia, pointing over to the North walls.

"And this go over to the South…" continued Adorabeezle, handing the small candies their decorations.

"Guys?"

The two looked up, Vanellope appearing before them.

"W-What's goin' on here?"

"Well, after we cleaned up we decided to try again but Taffyta suggested we take a DIFFERENT approach from the plan you gave us." Said Nougetsia.

"What do ya mean?"

"Um, well….." blushed the smaller popsicle racer "S-She said that the plans you got w-were good but we needed to just…."

Adorabeezle was stalling, looking too embarrassed to even continue.

"C'mon, Beezie. Tell me!"

"W-We have to get back to decorating!" the girl blurted, hiding behind her sister "L-Let's go, Nougie!"

"Beezie, wait!" Vanellope cried but the two walked off so suddenly, Vanellope unsure how to respond. What was going on?

Maybe Taffyta had the answer.

But where was she?

"Hey, has anyone seen Taffy?" Vanellope called out, hoping that someone, ANYONE would reply to her.

"Taffyta, President?" said one of the Candy helpers.

Vanellope looked down and gave a nod "Yeah, I need ta talk ta her, NOW!"

"Last time I saw her, she was heading towards the kitchen. Maybe you can catch her th-!"

*GLITCH!*

And away Vanellope glitched.

It didn't take long for the vanilla racer to pick out the missing girl surrounded by all the cooks in the kitchen but there Taffyta was, pointing out towards a few things, Vanellope unable to hear her.

"TAFFYTA!"

The strawberry racer turned around but her mood seemed relaxed, unexpected to say the least.

"Alright, keep up with that fudge. I'll see you in a second."

"Taff, what's goin'-?"

"Have you called Candlehead?" the strawberry race cut in, not missing a beat. Vanellope glitched but finally came back to her senses.

"C-C-Butt? Um, no. Not since I cleaned up."

"Then you better go get her." Said Taffyta "You wouldn't want her to miss her own party now, would you?"

Vanellope wasn't sure how to reply "Er, of course not. But Taffyta?"

"Yes?"

"Er, what's with all of this? I mean, I kinda just expected ya ta clean up around here. I didn't think ya'd pick up tha pieces THIS much!"

The strawberry racer said nothing but the look on her face was as clear as day to Vanellope; she had something planned but she wasn't going to even offer a hint to what it was.

"Vanellope, just go get Candlehead."

"But I want ta stay an' help!"

"Getting Candlehead will be the biggest thing you can do right now." Replied Taffyta, turning her focus to the work before her "The others and I are busy and besides…."

Vanellope arched a brow "Besides….WHAT?"

"I think if anyone should see her right now, it should be YOU."

The look on the vanilla racer's face darkened a bit, the girl not like the tone that had just been given to her. Taffyta had been acting strange enough lately but that didn't mean that Vanellope was going to take it.

"Taff, stop with all the secret stuff. Ya know what kinda damage that can do ta a person."

"There is nothing TO hide." Taffyta responded with a slight sound of gruffness in her voice "And besides, it's not like secrets are the only things that can hurt a person."

Vanellope knew what that was aimed at.

"TAFF."

"C'mon, the longer we try to argue the less time we have to actually enjoy ourselves…." Taffyta interrupted "Please, Vanellope. Just go get Candlehead."

Vanellope scowled, but only slightly. She then put her hands in her pockets and left, an eye still on Taffyta as she did so.

"Alright. Just hope ya guys aren't plannin' anythin' SOUR behind my back…."

And with that Vanellope exited the kitchen but was surprised to see Ralph standing there waiting for her.

"Kid?"

"We gotta guest to pick up…." Vanellope said rather flatly "It seems that we're not needed for any 'BIG' work."

The trek to the main village was a short one but as soon as Vanellope and Ralph stepped outside they felt a strange coldness in the night sky.

"Brrr, it got kinda chilly really fast!" said Vanellope as she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked up in the sky to see that the clouds had indeed changed, their bright colors looking murky.

Storm clouds?

Maybe for snow?

Another chill went up Vanellope's spine but it wasn't from the coldness. Something was happening but she didn't know what. Even after returning to her place of power in the game it still shocked her that there were so many things that she COULD NOT control or predict and the more she realized that, the more she began to worry especially once she arrived at the Candle Wick Café. The inside was dark and as cold looking as the weather outside but Vanellope knew that Candlehead was inside. She HAD to be inside!

The girl knocked on the door a few times, the glass fogging up as she breathed on it.

"Candlehead?"

No reply.

She knocked again but once more than sound of silence greeted her. She then pressed the bell but no one came coming. She couldn't hear Candlehead's fast footsteps as they ran down the stairs or hear her bright cheers.

There was nothing.

And this was definitely not like Candlehead at all.

"Oh no…." Vanellope moaned in worry as she took a step back from the door "Please be in, please be in!"

Should she glitch in? She could do that but would that make things even worse? Candlehead could be upset, hurt or WORSE for all she knew but remembering that it was her actions that caused the whole mess in the first place Vanellope found it harder and harder to decide what to do.

She moved back, looking up towards the windows to see that the lights were indeed on and a small figure was walking around inside but they just didn't want to be seen.

"At least she's home…." Vanellope said to herself.

"Kid?"

"CANDLEHEAD!" Vanellope shouted up as loudly as she could "YO, CANDLEHEAD!"

The two below could see the figure moving but it did not once move near the window.

"CANDLEHEAD!" Vanellope cried out even louder "PLEASE! I KNOW YA CAN HEAR ME DOWN HERE! SAY SOMETHIN'!"

No answer.

Vanellope furrowed her brows in anger; Candlehead couldn't have been THAT upset over everything! She just COULDN'T have been!

"Candlehead, if ya don't open your door I'm gonna glitch up there!"

"Kid, stop!" Ralph said in caution "That isn't gonna make anythin' better an' ya know it!"

"But how ELSE am I supposed ta talk ta Candlehead?!" protested the small girl "She won't let me in!"

Ralph looked this way and that, Vanellope having the winning argument on this one. It was possible for her to glitch into the room but even he knew what could come from it if Candlehead was really as upset as she seemed to be.

"M-Maybe we can try-!"

"CANDLEHEEEEEEEEEEEAD!" Vanellope shouted even louder, so loud that her throat was starting to strain "If this is because you're still mad at me then-! Then I'm SORRY!"

A few people on the street stopped and looked at the two, wondering just what in the arcade Vanellope was screaming about but if only they knew. She was upset enough before but seeing that her cries were met with nothing made Vanellope feel so….so….

Helpless?

Some considered that she had the greatest power in the game but it didn't mean anything now, not with how she couldn't reach Candlehead.

"I didn't know!" the girl screamed out "I didn't know about your family or what they did or-! ANYTHIN'!"

The figure slipped from view, the room looking a little darker than before. Vanellope began to worry that the candle-headed racer had moved to another room, somewhere further away to evade Vanellope's screams.

"Don't go away! Please don't! I-! _**WE**_ have somethin' planned at tha castle, somethin' SPECIAL! I-It wouldn't be tha same if everyone didn't have fun so-!"

Vanellope strained, looking down at the ground as a cold wind whipped around her.

What to do?

What to say?

She coughed from the coldness, Ralph looking down in concern.

"Vanellope?"

"Please, Candlehead. I didn't mean ta make ya cry! I didn't!" said Vanellope "I-! I know ya were tryin' ta make people happy but-!"

"S-Stop, Vanellope…." Came a little sniffle from in front of the two. Vanellope looked up, seeing Candlehead standing before them, the door to the café open.

"C-Candlehead?"

The aforementioned racer wiped her nose, much too afraid to look either Vanellope or Ralph in the face. She shuffled her foot on the ground, a few flakes of snow starting to drift from the clouds above.

"Um…d-do ya wanna come in?"


	6. Chapter 6- Christmas Candles

Chapter Six – Christmas Candles

The lights were turned on in the bistro, a pot on the stove filled with sweet crème for coco. Ralph and Vanellope sat inside the little establishment, the two of them looking around and feeling an odd sensation to the place they hadn't felt before, even after the reset had restored the Candle Wick Café to its rightful place. The little vanilla racer could not put her finger on it but being in the café now, she felt as if there were more people around, people who were meant to be walking around, doing whatever was needed to bring the Christmas season into the game.

But from the way Candlehead looked, her colors drained, her head lowered, she definitely was not in the Christmas time season and Vanellope felt terrible for knowing the reason why. She knew that Candlehead could be sillier than most but to see her so upset, especially during a time that made her so happy made the girl realize just how much damage words could do.

" _I guys I should know too…."_ The racer mumbled to herself, recounting the words thrown towards her in past years.

"What was that, kid?" asked Ralph.

"A-ah, nothin' Stink-Breath…." The girl returned, smiling nervously.

"Um, I hope ya like it…."

Two cups of coco were laid before the pair, the steam puffing up in sweet smelling clouds from the mugs.

"Heh, knowin' your skills!" began Vanellope, taking the cup into her hand "It should be EXCELLENT!"

Candlehead couldn't even muster up the energy to put on a grin, sitting sadly with her head lowered.

"Y-You're just bein' nice….ya don't hafta do that, 'specially for someone like me."

Ralph took a sip; delicious.

He knew he wasn't one for chocolate but whatever Candlehead had done, whatever she had mixed into the brew, it brought out all wonderful and warm senses that would melt even the biggest of ice-monster's heart. He found himself taking another longer sip, the entire cup drained in no time.

Darn it. And it was so good too.

"Someone like ya?" asked Vanellope "What's that supposed ta mean, C-Butt?"

The mint-racer looked away again, her hands trembling "I-I know ya have more important things ta be doin' this Christmas with everyone else in tha arcade. Ya don't need ta spend your time with some dummy like me."

"DUMMY?!"

"N-no matter what happens around here, I'll always be tha stupid one huh?" Candlehead meeped, her cheeks going red as she felt another urge to cry well inside of her "First Turbo an' now this Santa thing?"

"Th-that's tha reason I wanted ta talk ta ya, Candlehead…." Vanellope said "U-uh, look. I-I didn't know ya were out there! If I had known then….then I wouldn't have said those things!"

"It wouldn't have mattered if I heard ya or not…." Replied Candlehead "If I heard it from ya, if I heard it from someone else….it still would have been true, wouldn't it?"

"What would have been true, Candles?"

"That there is no Santa Claus….." the girl finally said "I….its not like I haven't heard that from a lot of other people in tha arcade. Its not like this was the first time someone told me that Santa wasn't real or that they made fun of me for belivin' in him."

"They….they made fun of ya?" asked Ralph, suddenly feeling silly to consider that no one but Vanellope and himself were capable of understanding what it meant to be made fun of. From the way that Candlehead was reacting, it was obvious that she had been thrown so many words over the years but after all this time, why did VANELLOPE'S reaction towards Santa break her down? This was something that BOTH had to know.

"Candlehead….."

The girl looked up, Vanellope looking at her worryingly.

"Taffyta told me. She told me about your story 'bout how your dad n' ya would stay up an' wait for Santa."

The other racer blushed deeply, looking as if she were terrified of what Vanellope would say next, as if she expected the girl to twist the knife within an already open wound.

"I….I never knew ya used ta do somethin' so nice with your parents."

Candlehead loosened, if only slightly "Huh?"

Vanellope smiled but the smile was so unsure, uncertain "Y-Yeah. I-It sounded really nice!"

"I-it wasn't real….." sniffled Candlehead "It-it's just a story an' like everyone told us, our backstories don't matter."

"BUT-!" blustered Vanellope "I mean-!"

"S-See?! It was STUPID of me ta hold onta a memory like that!" Candlehead said, louder this time "Th-that's why everyone thinks I'm so STUPID! Because I believe in Santa an' I believe in my stupid-fake story!"

"Your story is NOT stupid!" said Vanellope "NONE of our stories are!"

"M-Maybe not YOUR story…." Whimpered Candlehead "YOU'RE princess remember? You have the only position that matters, tha only story that matters. Everyone knows that."

"That is NOT true!" said Vanellope "We showed everyone that we all have stories, that we-!"

The vanilla racer stopped, feeling somewhat powerless to even counter what Candlehead was saying. How could she tell the girl to cheer up when she was now so down that she wouldn't even listen? After what EVERYONE in Sugar Rush had gone through, both from Turbo and the virus attack, she had HOPED that they would grow stronger, that they would each grow stronger in their own way but she was realizing that a full recovery was going to take a lot more time than she thought.

And if she couldn't help her friends, then what COULD Vanellope do?

"Candlehead?"

The girl looked up again, her eyes glossed over with tears.

"I-I just wanna know. If everyone else told ya Santa didn't exist, why did ya keep on goin'? Back then at least?"

Candlehead said nothing.

"Why?"

Again, nothing.

"Was it because of King C-?"

"NO!"

Vanellope and Ralph jolted back, Candlehead's voice echoing sharply at the very utterance of the faux monarch's name.

"NO, K-King Candy didn't help me!" the little candle-headed racer cried, though she was clearly angry this time "H-He played his lil game with me an' tha others! Dressin' up as Santa but I knew he wasn't tha real thing! He NEVER understood how important it was ta me!"

"Then-?"

"I kept goin' because….because I guess even then, with our memories hidden, some parts had leaked through an' I couldn't stop. An' everyone here LOVED it. Durin' this time of tha year, seein' everyone so happy when I made my Christmas decorations an' things? It brought back that feelin' I shared with my dad, even if I wasn't able ta full recall it since our stories were stolen from us."

STOLEN.

Hearing that word made a lump form in Vanellope's throat. The more she thought, the more she was reminded how much EVERYONE in the game had been twisted by Turbo. Her code was damaged, her throne was robbed but everyone had something stolen from them, something IMPORTANT that made them who they were and for the racers, it was their stories, their families, the very things that made them happy and whole.

But somehow, by some miracle maybe, some data had slipped through, some data that Turbo wouldn't have been able to block no matter how much he tried. For Candlehead, it was her love of Christmas, her love that connected her to her family. She might not have been able to remember the faces of her family but what she could remember she had shared with the others and it had made them happy and in turn, it had made CANDLEHEAD happy.

Candlehead sniffed "Ya know those guys that used ta make fun of me for belivin' in Santa?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"They're tha same guys that always tell me how stupid I was for makin' fun of ya. They're tha guys that always cheer ya on an' tell me how right ya are, how I can never be anythin' compared ta ya…."

Suddenly, it was all starting to make sense to Vanellope. She blanched, her hand shaking as she gripped the handle of her coco mug.

"An' if _**I**_ said that Santa didn't exist…."

Then it _**HAD**_ to be true.

Yes, there were STILL many things that needed to be fixed after the reset.

Ralph and Vanellope looked up to see Candlehead sobbing softly in her chair, her small tears hitting her hands.

"Does this mean that what daddy was doin' wasn't real?"

"What do ya mean?"

"H-He said that Santa made him happy. That it made him happy bein' with me when we used ta look up in tha night but if he isn't real, does that mean that daddy wasn't happy with me? Th-that he was fakin' it? D-did he think I was stupid like everyone else here does?"

Vanellope's brows furrowed as she frowned, getting up and walking over to the small racer as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Candlehead….you are _**NOT**_ stupid."

"W-What?"

"I said, I don't think you're stupid an' importantly you're not stupid for belivin' in Santa Claus."

"But ya said-!"

"Candles, just because _**I**_ don't understand somethin' doesn't mean _**YOU**_ should give up in it."

"But you're PRESIDENT!"

"An' that doesn't matter anythin' with YOUR family…." Said the vanilla racer "I might be President but I didn't make your family traditions nor do I have a hand in how ya celebrate 'em."

"I-I don't get it, Vanellope." Said Candlehead "I-I thougt-!"

"I think what Vanellope is tryin' ta say….." said Ralph in a warm tone "Is that what ya have with your family is somethin' SPECIAL, young lady. An' ya can't let a bunch'a knuckle-heads take that away from ya."

"I REAAAALLY hope I wasn't included in that group'a knuckle-heads, RALPH."

The big man grinned "Ya know, tha fact that a memory of somethin' ya shared with your papa managed ta leak through, even after what that creep did ta ya guys, says somethin'."

"W-What does it say, Mr. Ralph?"

"It says that somethin' real within ya was tryin' ta break through, that your real heart was tryin' ta break out from all that sludge that Turbo fed ya."

"It didn't make a difference though…." Candlehead said as she shook her head "It wasn't as if it made things better or fought off King Candy or-"

"Young Lady, I can betcha tha same people who are givin' ya kids a hard time about King Candy are tha same people who were kissin' his butt when he used ta flaunt around as if he owned tha place." Ralph said, rolling his eyes as he thought back "An' I'm talkin' about before an' after he put on that stupid disguise! Ya can't let people like them bring ya down, 'specially when I KNOW you're doin' this outta tha good of your heart for EVERYONE."

"Is it really good, ya guys?" Candlehead asked, so unsure "Can someone like me be good, with everythin' I've done."

"Candlehead…."

"Ya don't know how much I ask myself this question every time I get up an' knowin' my history again? I always wonder if my parents would ever wanna speak ta me. All I hear is how bad I am, how stupid I am, how terrible I am….an' all I wanna do is prove that I'm not. Prove that I AM good."

"An' that's why ya those stories meant so much ta ya." Said Vanellope.

"More than that, I was gonna plan a big party for everyone. Not just people here in Sugar Rush, but all who wanted ta come, no matter what game they're from." Said Candlehead. She turned, looking away in shame "But I guess I still thought too far ahead, that it was silly of me that ANYONE from this arcacde would want ta attend a Christmas party from a former bully, huh?"

"Candlehead, I can't believe you'd think somethin' like that." Said Vanellope "Of COURSE I would have come ta your party! I love ALL your parties!"

"You're not just sayin' that, are ya? I mean…."

"C-Butt, please understand me when I say this. After everythin' we've been through, I _**KNOW**_ you an' EVERY racer here is much more. Much more than backstories an' much more than what Turbo's image has done ta your past." The vanilla racer said "Look, I'm sorry if my comments on Santa came off a lil harsh on my part but that doesn't mean ya should EVER stop tryin' ta make people happy nor does it mean that anythin' you an' your parents did was wrong. What ya guys shared was somethin' nice an' they would be proud knowin' that you're sharin' it with EVERYONE here in tha arcade."

"D-Do ya think-?" Candlehead began, looking at Vanellope with big eyes "D-Do ya really think my parents would be proud of me?"

"Candles, I KNOW they would be proud of ya." Smiled Vanellope "But they would be even PROUDER-ER-ER if ya got your Candle-Booty ta tha castle!"

"Tha castle?" the mint-chip racer blinked "Why?"

"Ta be honest…." Shrugged Vanellope "I really don't know. Taffyta took the reigns over things after…."

The girl paused, laughing nervously; if only Candlehead had known about the mess at the castle. Maybe seeing that would have brought her out of her gloomy mood faster.

"Um, let's just say that recipe ya have for removing chocolate puddin' outta silk?"

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna need about….four gallons of tha stuff for tha study rooms ALONE."

"…..Should I wear a hazmat suit or?"

"C'mon, we can't be late!" Vanellope said as she grabbed her friend by the hand, taking off for the door.

"Late? Late for WHAT?"

Vanellope took off for the castle a lot faster than she ever had, all the while Candlehead continued to question what was going on.

"Vanellope, WAIT!" the girl said "What's goin' on! I just wanna-!"

 _ **SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!**_

As soon as Vanellope threw open the doors, a flurry of confetti and balloons rained down on the two, the entire front room of the castle filled with festive cheer! Characters from near and far around Litwak's greet the two where they stood, holiday tidings and smiles brighter than any stars they had seen!

"WHOA!" gasped Vanellope, nearly falling on her bottom "I knew ya guys had cleaned up but what did ya DO while we were gone?!"

"We just followed some of the idea from your notes, that's all."

"Taffyta?"

Taffyta, indeed.

Dressed in her best Christmas dress, the strawberry racer came through the crowd but it wasn't the dress that surprised Vanellope the most. If anything it was her SMILE.

" _ **MY**_ notes? But what about the mess that I m-?"

"You should have seen EVERYTHING that Vanellope did." Taffyta cut in as she pulled Candlehead into the heart of the party "All this stuff? SHE'S the one who came up with it."

Candlehead's eyes grew as wide as saucers "Sh-she did?"

"Yup." Taffyta nodded proudly "From the tree to inviting all these guest! And on the fly too! She just wanted to give you the best gift a lil party-animal like could dream of!"

Vanellope stood as still as an ice-statue; but what about the mess that she had made, the trouble that had happened all because she was trying to rush the event? Why hadn't Taffyta mentioned that?

What was going on?

"Er, Taffyta?" whispered Vanellope "Um, ya sure that hat of yours isn't on too ti-?!"

"OH THANK YA, VANELLOPE!"

Before the vanilla racer could finish, she found herself clutched into the arms of Candlehead, the girl giving her the biggest hug she had ever gotten.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!"

"URGH! Y-You're welcome!"

"Go on, Candlehead." Smiled Taffyta "Check out the snack table! There's so many Christmas treats from all of us there!"

"Ooooh, YUMMY!" Candlehead cooed, a hungry look in her eyes "Save some for me!"

And with that, Candlehead took off to enjoy the party but Vanellope was still left in a daze, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Taffyta…."

"Yes?"

"Um, ya didn't forget what happened when I-"

"Consider it a Christmas gift from me, to you…." The strawberry racer said "Besides, this is the season for fun isn't it? That's all Candlehead wanted so what's the point of making it sour by bringing up a little mess?"

LITTLE.

That mess was FAR from LITTLE.

Before Vanellope could even give so much as a thank you, Taffyta had disappeared into the crowd.

"I didn't understand her when King Candy was in charge….." Vanellope said, shaking her head "I definitely don't understand her now."

Understanding Taffyta or not, Vanellope began to realize that even with everything that had happened in the game that she truly was a lucky character. She looked at the castle, seeing it decorated by the hands of the other racers but it was more than just paper and cardboard on string. Each decoration reflected a story, a story of a racer and how they would celebrate with their families, how much they loved and cared for each other.

Vanellope looked up, seeing once more the importance of the stories to the Candy Racers, why they held them so close and so dearly.

Why CANDLEHEAD held her story so close.

But in the middle of everything, there was something missing. Something that Vanellope realized she had not contributed to.

"No….its not done yet!"

With a glitch, the girl flashed her away out of the crowd and took off towards her room. Moments later she returned, a large box in her hand.

"Candlehead!"

Busy away trying out cookies and sweets, the mint-chip racer turned to see Vanellope walking up to her.

"Huh? What is it, Vanellope?"

"Here." The Vanilla racer said as she dropped the package in Candlehead's hand "In all tha chaos, I nearly forgot ta give ya this."

Candlehead unwrapped the box and upon seeing what was inside…..

A picture.

A picture drawn by Vanellope, covered in candies, glitter and streamers

Of herself, Candlehead, and Santa.

 _Merry Christmas Candlehead._

 _Luv Vanellope._

"V-Vanellope."

The other girl blushed deeply "I….*ahem* Well, I made it AFTER Taffyta told me 'bout tha entire thing so it looks a lil bit on tha wonky-side."

Another hug.

That was all Candlehead could do.

"Thanks again, Vanellope…." The little candle-head racer said "Thank you so, so much…."


	7. Finale

Finale

As the hours counted down, the party began to slow down but there were still many lingering about. With the Christmas season in full swing, people were just not ready to stop even if it was only minuets to midnight.

"Man, this was great!" said Vanellope as she looked out the window, the sugar-snow leaving a beautiful blanket of white throughout the land "An' it proves once more than great things can come out of disasters!"

"Well, count yourself lucky we were able to get you free from the ceiling…." Smirked Taffyta "Judging from that batter you were covered in, it was like glue so you would have been there for-!"

"Thanks, Taffyta."

The strawberry racer blinked "What for?"

"For…for fixin' my mess an' takin' care of all of this. I mean, after what ya an' tha other racers did, ya didn't hafta give me credit for tha party. Ya could have said SOMETHIN'!"

"Oh, I could have but you WERE the one who had the idea first. I was just giving credit where it was due."

"Still though, I needed ta thank ya." Smiled Vanellope.

Taffyta smiled softly, dragging her fingers on the frosted glass "Let's just say….you're not the only one Candlehead instilled her love of Santa to."

For a moment, Vanellope found herself pondering what Taffyta had meant by those words but then she looked. There was a pin on her jacket but not the usual strawberry one she wore. Instead, a little sugar Santa was fastened to her chest, the surface gleaming in the light of the winter moon.

"After all, we HAVE been friends for years…."

 _Vanellope knew there was still so much she needed to learn about the others._

"Uh, hey." Vanellope said abruptly "Have ya seen C-Butt around? I lost track of her as tha party went on."

"Now that ya mention it…." Said Taffyta "I haven't seen her either!"

"Oh boy!" Vanellope said in slight worry "Hope she didn't get too carried away with all those chocolate fudge candy-canes! Ya KNOW how she gets when she has too much su-!"

"Wait, there she is!" Taffyta said as she looked out further into the snow.

"Where?"

"Out there!" smiled Taffyta, but she then saw another figure "And look! Ralph is out there with her!"

Vanellope squinted her eyes, seeing that Candlehead did appear to be out in the snow with a large figure but what they were talking about the two girls did not know.

"What are those two doin' out there?" Vanellope said "An' why is Ralph in that Santa get-up? I don't remember him gettin' a costume."

"Ah, he must have found one and decided to play the part. After all, that WAS the only person missing from the festivities!"

"Oooh, darn it!" Vanellope huffed, snapping her fingers "I KNEW I forgot somethin'!"

"Ah, don't stress out about it. As usual, Mr. Hero has things covered. Look at what he's doin' out there!"

The girl continued to look on, watching as the large figure reached behind his back and pulled out a gift for Candlehead, the girl leaping into the air in joy.

"Awwww, look!" cooed Taffyta "I wonder what he got her!"

"Man, ol' Stink-Breath went all out for this!" smiled Vanellope "But, I shouldn't put it past him. He's a brick-head but he does know how ta make people happy…."

The two watched on, Candlehead jumping up and giving the large figure a hug before running off back towards the castle.

"Hope Ralph doesn't stay out there TOO long." Said Taffyta "He does now that the snow might be sweet but it can be just as freezing as normal now, right?"

"Maybe he's waitin' ta make sure Candlehead makes it in first…."

"Guys, GUYS!" squealed Candlehead happily as she ran back into the castle "Look what I got!"

Vanellope smiled smugly "Oooh, tell us C-Butt."

The mint-chip racer beamed from ear to ear, holding up her gift "I got a new candy album! Perfect for puttin' that picture ya made me in, Vanellope!"

Taffyta and Vanellope attempted to hold back their laughter, knowing it was best to play along.

"It looks great, C-Butt." Said Taffyta

"Say, that's cute kiddo!" Smiled Ralph warmly "Where'd ya get that from?"

"From SANTA!" Candlehead said, nearly turning cartwheels before everyone "H-He's out there an'-!"

"Heh, don't blow a fuse on us, C-Butt." Giggled Vanellope "We already had one mess this Christmas! We don't need another, right Taffyta?"

Silence.

"Er, Taffy? Ya still there?"

The racer looked up, seeing Taffyta staring out the window in awe, not a sound able to escape her throat.

"Um, arcade ta Taffyta? Are ya there?"

"There….there's only ONE Fix-it-Felix Jr. cabinet here, right?"

"Uh, yeah? Why?"

"Unless there are TWO Ralphs that we don't know of…..WHO IS THAT?!"

Vanellope turned back towards the window and let out a gasp as the figure they had spotted with Candlehead was still there, waving towards everyone in the Castle.

The figure both girls had thought was RALPH.

"An' it has gum-drops an' peppermints 'an even those lil koala cookies I like on it!" Candlehead smiled as she showed Ralph the album "Oooh! When I get my photos from this party printed, I can't WAIT ta put 'em here! An' so much more! This is gonna be my NEW memory book!"

"Heh, one of many if ya plan on havin' a LOTTA fun." Smiled Ralph but his attention then turned towards the two girls at the window "Hey ya two…."

Both Vanellope and Taffyta quickly ducked down, sitting on the floor with eyes wide in shock, Taffyta clutching onto her Santa pin.

"Are ya guys alright?"

"Ah-ha! W-We're just fine, RALPH!" Vanellope smiled nervously, her heart racing.

"J-Just the Christmas season getting to us…." Followed Taffyta, clutching even harder onto the pin "J-Just the Christmas season."

"Yeah!" smiled Candlehead "It's tha BEST, isn't it?"


End file.
